Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1887-02-11
a STRANGE CLINIC.
A Chimpanzee Dissects His Master

A Chimpanzee Dissects His Master.
From long and perilous journey to
the center of Africa Dr. Symmachus had
brought back with him native negro,
born upon the Seba. and a monkey OF
enormous sze-a chimpanzee, think
an animal of great intelligence and her.
culean strength. The negro was called
Karel, and the beast. whose black face
was framed in stiff yellow hair, an
swered to the name of Manko.
The doctor was singular person.
small, thin and nervous. with eyes like
burning Goals deeply set in sockets worn
and faded to purplish red. He in
spired you with an indefinable feeling
of antipathy-almost of disgust His
age no one knew; he might have been
thirty he might have been fifty. His
smooth and brass-colored face, dry and
unwrinkled resembled that of an Egyp-
tan mummy, which retains you know
not what expression OF wickenness and
irony, with its mouth forever silent and
its eyes forever closed.
DR.. SymmachuS
OCCUPIED AN OLD RUIN
In faubourg of Paris, a miserable
building. its walls broken in. its red
roof covered with moss and its joints
worm-eaten and crumblng. He lived
entirely alone having neither family
nor friends, and he did not seem to be
conscious that men were living around
him. The negro served HIM with the
mechanical devotion of slave without
"A soul. and the monkey took part in
this solitary existence with the scornful
gravity of mute and conquered Great
ures.
Never had anything in the shape of
human being crossed the sill of this
dilapidated dwelling, and strange stor-
les were afloat in the neighborhood
about the doctor, although the people
scarcely knew his name. He refused
ali patients, but there were gossips bold
enough to knock even at his door
The shutters, which were very thick
and lined with mattresses of tow cover
ed with leather. were always closed; yet
nearly every night, way into the late
hours. sharp and piercing cries came
from that dismal house; then spirals of
brown greasy smoke escaped from the
chimneys, diflusing a sickening odor of
burnt flesh, bones and hair. Strange
to say, the police paid no attention TO
these things; more than once they
heard the cries, saw the smoke and
smet the putrd carnations, but they
passed TRANQUILITY on, as if they cared
nothing for the devilish work going on
behind those crumbling walls and bar
red shutters-for every one in the
neighborhood firmly believed that Doc
tor Symmachus had given himself up
to the practice of the Black Arts, and
sacrificed victims to some monstrous
idol OF a savage people.
The mothers forbade their children
playing near the old house. which thew
CALLED THE "HoUsE OF THE DEVIL"
And trembed with fear whenever they
approached it.
The neighbors often tried to question
Karel, the negro, but he replied only by
unintelligible mutterings and grins and
grimaces; so they thought that he was
not only dumb but wicked When he
went to the grocery for goods he would
show the names of articles written on
slate. and he always paid for them
with piece of silver never taking any
change in return. They frequently Of
fered him glass of wine in the hope of
making him tell something about his
master, but he refused to drink it, and
walked through the street with proud
air, charmed to be escorted by a crowd
of boys who admired his turban of
white silk and his bournous of blue
flannel floating in ample folds about
his meager body.
Little by little certain discoveries
were made by DR.. Symmachus. He
went out almost every morning before
twelve o clock, and returned at twi-
light, bringing two dogs lashed togeth-
er, which disappeared and were never
seen again. Sometimes they were mag
niticent greyhoundS sometimes little
terriers, then white spaniels or big New
foundlands. Two or three times a
week, just at day break. wagon, drawn
by strong horse, was driven by mu-
latto would arrive at full gallon
Karel would open the door and carry
in great willow baskets fastened with
red seal. and then the wagon would
dash off again.
What became of the animals shut up
in those baskets?
THE NEIGHBoRs WATCHED AND LIST
ENED,
But could discover nothing. The ne
] Al. i.